Rack for gas drums



Sept. 27, 1932. F. H. KNEELAND RACK FOR GAS `DRUMS Filed Aug. 15,

| I l I 1 l l l Patented Sept. 27, 1932 FRANK n. KNEELAND, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .AssIGNon 'ro SAFETY MINING' COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION p RACK non CAs DRUMS i Application filed August 15, 1929. Serial No.v 386,212;

In the charging of carbon dioxide blasting cartridges it is desirable to employ a plurality of supply` drums, all connected to a common header and so arranged that gas may be withdrawn from the drums either selectively or simultaneously. ln order that a substantial portion of the contents of the Y driuns may be removed therefrom by gravity7 it has been found necessary to invert the drums or in some way support them with the outlets thereof disposed downwardly.V For some time it was customary to arrange and support the inverted drums in vertical position in order that the contents might be withdrawn by gravity. Vith this arrangement considerable difficulty was encountered With freezing valves on the drums, the header and other portions of the piping used to conduct the gas from the drums to the charging apparatus. This difliculty was first attributed to the presence of water in the gas and accordingly a dryer was inserted in the system for. the purpose of extracting the water. It Was found, however, that this did not eliminate the troublesome freezing. y

discovered that this freezing was due to the .A

Finally it was partial stoppage of the valves on the drums by scale or other sediment contained in the drums. The result of the clogging of the valves was to permit the` gas to expand on leaving the drums, thus producing a refrigerating effect. This refrigerating effect due to the expansion of the gas was responsible for the freezing of the valves on the drum header and other piping. Many attemptse were made to overcome this diiicultyrbut without substantial success until it was discovered that by inclning the supply drums at an angle of approximately 45 to the horizontal, the difficulty was overcome. This may be explained by the fact that with a drum in this position there is a pocket or depression below the level of the drum outlet which serves as a settling basin for the scale and other sediment in the drum. In this Way thegas has a freejexit through the drum valve and the objectionable refrigerating eiiect is eliminated. Also, it has Ybeen found that With the drums `in this position the contents ean be removed by gravity almost as Japildly as though the drums were truly verln view of the foregoing considerations, the object of the present invention is to provide a raclr for gas drums wherein the drums may be supported at such an angle as to avoid stoppage of the drum valve.-

A further obj ect ofthe invention'is to provide a drum rack of this character Vcapable of supporting a plurality of drums and in which the'drums may be rapidly inserted and removed, and when inserted beheld in defi'- nite spaced relation. Y

Other objects relate to details of construction which will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing I Figure l is a' front elevation of the v.improved drum rack and Figure 2 is a vertical section along the line l2.-2 of Figure l.

The framework ofthe improved drum rack consists of connected front andrear frame units, the latterncluding vertical end portions l and2 and transverse tie portions 7 and8. The bar 7 connects the upper ends 7 of the'bars Vl iand`2 While the bar 8 extends transverselybetween and connects bars l and 2 at points slightly aboveutheir mid-portions.

connectedt'o the rear unitby meanslof in'- .clined tie bars 5 and at opposite ends of the rack.` vThese inclined tie bars extend ,from the upper ends of the bars `3 and 4f `to the-transverse bar .8 of the rearvframe unit.

The angle bars l2 connect the lower ends'of the uprights 1, 2, 3 and 4f and provdemeans for securing the rack to a floor or other suport.

It will be noted thatthe transverse tie bar 9 is of right angular cross section and is so positioned that one of its anges is supported by the surfaces of the inclined bars 5 and 6. In this way the transverse bar 9 provides a channel extending transversely of the drum rack. The other flange of the bar 9 is provided with spaced recesses ll of such contour as to receive and support the neck portions of gas drums. These recesses are arranged in alignment with the spaces formed by the division bars 10. The purpose of this arrangement will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 wherein a gas drum is shown in dotted outline in position on the drum rack.

The transverse tie bar 7 of the rear frame unit is provided with two or more brackets 13 which are designed to receive a header to which the outlets of the various drums may be connected.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing it will be observed that the position in which a drum is supported by the improved rack is such as to provide a settling basin adjacent the discharge end of the drum, but out of lthe path of the gas which flows through the outlet valve. Any scale or other sediment which may be presentV in Vthe drum will settle by gravity intov this settling basin and `thus permit unobstructed iiow of gas from the drum. It will also beV observed that the ,improved drumvrack structure is such as to greatly simplify the interchange of eXhaust ed andk relled gas drums. The improved rack is preferably constructed entirely of angle irons, either riveted or welded together and is therefore of comparatively inexpensive structure, although quite sturdy and capable of long service.

Claims:

2. A rack for gas drums comprising a frame having a transverse rear support and a transverse front support, said supports being at relatively different heights, whereby to position a drum at an angle to the horizontal, said front support being the lower of the two and consisting of a bar of angular cross section having one wall thereof recessed to receive the neck portion of a drum. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of August, 1929.

' FRANK H. KNEELAND.

l. A rack for gas drums comprising a rear frame unit consisting ofy spaced upright bars, a transverse tie bar connecting the upper ends of said upright bars,a second transverse tie bar connecting said'upright bars below the first said tie bar and substantially above the mid-points of said upright bars, afront frame. unit spaced from the rear frame unit and consisting of spaced upright bars of substantially less than one-half the height of Y the rear frame unit, a transverse tie bar connecting the upper ends of the last said upright bars, inclined' end tie bars connect` ing the,V upper ends oflthe last said upright bars withthe respective upright bars of the rear frame unit at points above the mid-portions of the latter, the last said transverse'tie bar'being of right angular crossv section and having one of Vits walls engag-y f ing andsupported by said inclined tie bars,

the other wall being formediwith a recess ,35 adapted to receivethe neck portion of a drum. 

